Apparatus for sealing



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

M. G. HEIM & W. NOTTBERG. APPARATUS FOR SEALING, LUBRIGATING, AND 000mm STUFFING BOXES.

No. 580,049. Patented Apr. 6, 1897.

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(No Model.) 2 sheets sheet 2. r

M. G. HEIM 81; W.-NOTTBERG. APPARATUS FOR SEALING, LUBRIGATING, AND 000mm STUPPING noxns.

No. 580,049. Patented Apr. 6, 1897.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MICHAEL G. I'IEIM AND IVILLIAM NOTTBERG, OF KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI.

APPARATUS FOR SEALING, LUBRlCATlNG, AND COOLING STUFFlNG-BOXES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 580,049, dated April 6, 1897.

Serial No. 574,685. (No model.)

To all 2072 0122, 2115 may concern.-

Be it known that we, MICHAEL G. HEIM and WILLIAM NOTTBERG, citizens of the United States, residing at Kansas City, in the county of Jackson, in the State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Sealing, Lubricating, and Cooling Stut'ling-Boxes, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification.

Our invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in apparatus for sealing, lubricating, and cooling stuffing-boxes, having more particular reference to sealing, lubricating, and cooling the stuffing-box of the piston-rod of ammonia and like cylinders; but the same may be used with any stuffingbox in which a piston operates; and our invention consists in certain features of novelty hereinafter described, and pointed out in the claim.

Figure I represents an elevation of our apparatus, showing a stuffing-box in vertical cross-section. Fig. II represents a plan view of the same, showing the stufling-box in horizontal cross-section on the line 00 0c of Fig. I. Fig. III represents an enlarged detail view of the cross-section shown in Fig. -I. Fig. IV represents an enlarged detail view of the cross-section shown in Fig. II.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

1 represents a cylinder, and 2 represents a packing-box, of ordinary construction, (seen in cross-section,) provided with the ordinary packing-rings 3 and having the piston-rod 4 operating therein, said piston-rod being connected with a piston (not shown) operating in the cylinder 1. Intermediate the packingrings 3 is introduced the gland 5, of peculiar construction, the same being formed with the heads 6 and 7, and the connecting-column 8, of smaller dimensions than the heads, having the perforations 9, thus providing the open space 10 next the wall of the packing-box and the open space 11 next the piston-rod, connected by said perforations. On one side of the packing-box with said open space 10 communicates the pipe 12, leading from the force-pump 13, and on the other side of the packing-box with said open space 10 communicates the pipe 14, leading from the stuffingbox to the coil 15.

16 represents a circulating-tank connected by the pipe 17 with said coil and by the pipe 18 with the pump.

19 represents a supply-tank containing a source of supply of the material to be used, connected with the pump by the pipe 20, provided with the valve 21.

22 represents a valve in the pipe connecting the circulating-tank with the pump.

23 represents a pipe connecting the inpipe 12 with the pipe 18 from the circulating-tank, provided with a regulating-valve 24.

25 represents a Valve in the inpipe-12 for regulating or shutting 01f the supply from the pump to the stuffing-box.

26 represents a regulating-valve interposed in pipe 14.

27 represents a pressure indicator connected with the pipe leading from the pump to the stuffing-box. In the circulating-tank just above its outlet to pipe 18 is provided a screen or sieve 28, (shown in dotted lines,) and just above the same said tank is provided with a hand-hole closed by the cap 29. To observe the amount of liquid in the tank is provided the gage 30, connected therewith.

In the initial movement the liquid is drawn from anysource of supply, as the supply-tank 19, and by the force-pump is carried through the pipe 12 to the stufting-boigwhere it fills the open spaces formed by the gland, and as the pumping continues is carried through the pipe 14 and through the coil 15 to the circulatingtank, the valve 22 in the pipe 18 from the circulating-tank to the punip being preferably kept closed until said tank is filled. \Vhen the circulating-tank is filled, the valve 21 is closed and valve 22 is opened and the supply thereafter taken from the circulatingtank, when a continuous circulation is kept up from said tank to the pump and from the pump through the stufting-box and coil back to the tank. T0 effect the purpose of the apparatus in sealing the stufling-box, the pressure at which the circulation is maintained must be slightly in excess of the pressure in the cylinder. Usually an excess of from one to five or ten is found sufficient. This is accomplished by introducing the regulatingvalve 26 beyond the stuffing-box, the pressure being observed on the indicator 27. Under such pressure, using a liquid impervious to the material in the cylinder, escape of the contents of the cylinder along the piston-rod is effectually prevented and the stuffing-box securely sealed, while at the same time the piston-rod is thoroughly and constantly lubricated.

For the purpose of cooling the stuffing-box and keeping the piston-rod cool the coil 15 may be placed in a cool place or placed in water or surrounded with ice, and thus the lubricant circulating through the pipes and coil maintained at a low temperature and thus applied in the stuffing-box, and heating of the rod and burning out of the packing effectually prevented. The cooling-coil is here shown as located in the line of the pipe 14, leading from the stuffing-box to the circulating-tank, but it may be located in the line of the pipe 12, leading from the pump to the stuffing-box, and the result willbe equally effective in reducing the temperature of the lubricant and throwing it at a low tempera ture into and through the stuffing-box.

If the circulation through the stuffing-box be cut oif by the valve 25 in pipe 12 while the pump is in operation, the valve 24 in pipe 23 will be opened and the material carried in a manner short-circuited through said pipe back to the pump.

The screen or sieve 28 is provided in the circulating-tank so that any particles carried over from the stufiing-box may be removed and the circulation kept free from foreign matter, and through the handhole closed by the cap 29 access is gained to the tank to clean the screen, and for other purposes.

\Ve are aware that to provide a stufiing-box with an oil or sealing-liquid chamber having pipes communicating therewith and circulating a lubricant or sealing material therethrough under pressure is not new, but we are not aware that in any such case has means been provided for regulating and controlling the pressure and flow of lubricant or sealing material in and through said chamber to maintain therein a pressure in excess of the a shut-off valve in said inlet-pipe, and apipe I provided with a reducing-valve connecting said inlet-pipe with the pipe communicating between said circulating-tank and the pump, to short current the circulation if said shutoff valve be closed while the pump is in operation, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

MICHAEL G. IIEIM. XVILLIAM NOTTBERG. Witnesses:

AUG. R. MENGLE, CHAS. O. JACK. 

